Means for modifying the trajectory of a projectile.



L. ALARD.

MEANS FOR MODIFYING THE TRAJECTORY OF A PROJECTILE.

APPLICATION FILED IAN-4, IsIs.

1, 181 ,203. I Patented May 2, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

fly

'rmz COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPN c0., WASHINGTON, D. c.

L. ALARD.

MEANS FOR MODIFYING THE TRAJECTORY OF A PROJECTILE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.4, 1916.

1,181,203. Patented May 2,1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Jaw 11 M 17 @4414. a

THE COLUMBIA v! ANFORAPH cu, wAsnmmuh, n4

L. AL

MEANS FOR MODIFYING HE ORY OF A PROJECTILE.

APPLICATIC .4, 1916 1,181,203. I Pa ed May 2,1916.

HEETS-SHEET 3.

avg

LOUIS ALARD, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

MEANS FOR MODIFYING THE TRAJ'ECTORY OF A PROJECTILE.

Original application filed January 27, 1914, Serial No. 814,639.

Serial No. 70,122.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LOUIS ALARD, a citizen ofthe Republic of France, residing at Paris, France, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Means for Modifying the Trajectory of aProjectile, of which the following is a specification.

proper of the projectile.

My invention relates to high velocity projectiles adapted to bedischarged from guns, and more particularly to means provided on suchprojectiles, whereby, when the projectile has been discharged from thegun, its trajectory is transformed, the trajectory be ing made more orless equal to that heretofore obtained with a field howitzer only, suchas described in my parent application. Ser. No. 814,639. filed January27, 1914, of which application this is a division.

According to my invention, the means referred to consists in what I havetermed a braking device, which is preferably removably attached to theogival portion, or the fuse-head of the projectile, or between these twoparts. or also on the body part The said braking device may either berigid, or it may be so constructed as to open out or unfold under theaction of air pressure and the centrifugal force developed by therotating movement of the projectile. WVhile the projectile is still inthe barrel of the gun. this braking device is of course kept folded, orin a collapsed state so that it will lie flat against the outer face ofthe projectile.

In the modification of my new device forming the subject matter of thisapplication, an explosive charge is provided in the forward portion ofthe projectile which charge is ignited by a time-fuse, and the gasesgiven off by said explosive charge cause the braking device to openoutward whereby the tra ectory of the projectile is transformed. Theexplosive, instead of acting directly upon the braking device may bemade to act upon a movable member so arranged as to normally hold thebraking device in inoperative position. but forced out of its normalposition by the explosion of said explosive charge to permit the brakingdevice to act.

In the drawing, Figure 1 illustrates half in side elevation and half inlongitudinal section, a projectile provided with my new braking device,showing also the explosive charge in the forward portion of the proSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1916.

Divided and this application filed January jectile, Fig. 2 is a crosssection along line AA in Fig. 1, Fig. 8 a partial half longitudinalsection of the projectile in Fig. 1, showing the braking device inunfolded position, Fig. 4 illustrates half in side elevation and half inlongitudinal section, amodification, while Fig. 5 illustrates a furthermodification showing half of a projectile in longitudinal section.

According to Figs. 1 to 3, the braking device, which is secured betweenthe fuse-head f and the ogival portion 0 of the projectile and isadapted to open outward under the action of the explosion of theexplosive charge 18, comprises a base piece a and a body portion 6closely fitting the ogival portion 0 of the projectile. The thickness ofthe body portion is reduced at intervals along a plurality of lines ofrupture by grooves 17. The rupture is produced by the explosion of thesaid explosive charge 18 provided in the ogival portion,which charge issupposed to be ignited after the lapse of a predetermined period througha passage connecting the said explosive charge with a special time-fusenot shown. Fig. 3 shows the body portion 6 unfolded, due to the combinedaction of the explosion and the centrifugal force developed by the rapidrotating movement of the projectile.

14 is a washer provided With a plurality of pins 15 extending throughholes in the base-piece a into corresponding recesses in the ogivalportion.

The arrangement shown in Fig. 4 is similar to the one just describedexcept that in this modification, the body portion 6 forms, at the sametime, a retaining means for the free ends of a plurality of strips 0which are supported by a sleeve d on the body part of the projectile soas to normally lie close against the outer face of the projectile, inwhich position they are held by the body portion b. When the latter iscaused by the explosion to unfold. the free ends of said strips 0 arereleased and, due to the centrifugal force are caused to assume a position as indicated by the broken lines in Fig.

thus constituting a powerful brake.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, an unbroken, i. e. a non-groovedcup-shaped member 19 is placed on the ogival portion 0 of theprojectile, which member, like the grooved body portion 72 of thebraking device in Fig. 4 constitutes a retaining device for the freeends of a plurality of strips 0 like those shown in Fig. 4. In thisconstruction (Fig. 5) the explosive charge 18 is to act upon thatportion of the cupshaped member 19 which is engaged between the ogivalportion 0 of the projectile and its fuse-head f. The cup-shaped member19 is designed to move forward on the ogival portion 0, to free thestrips 0, which movement is made possible by a space being providedbetween the fuse-head f and the cupshaped member. said space beingslightly greater than the overlap of the member 19 over the strips 0.WVhen the latter have been released, their free ends will, as in Fig. 3,open outwardly.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a high velocity projectile, a normallyinoperative braking device mounted on the projectile, an explosivecharge so arranged in the projectile as to cause by its explosion thesaid braking device to assume its operative position so as to curve thetrajectory of the projectile, and means for igniting the said explosivecharge, after the projectile has left the gun.

2. In combination with a high velocity projectile provided with afuse-head, a normally inoperative braking device mounted on theprojectile between its ogival portion and the said fuse-head and havinglines of least resistance, an explosive charge so arranged in theprojectile as to rupture by its explosion the lines of least resistanceof said braking device, permitting the latter to unfold and exert itsbraking action thereby curving the trajectory of the projectile, andmeans for igniting the said explosive charge, after the projectile hasleft the gun.

3. In combination with a high velocity projectile provided with afuse-head, a normally inoperative braking device mounted on theprojectile between its ogival portion and the said fuse-head and havinglines of least resistance, a second braking device mounted on the bodypart of the projectile. the free forward edge of the said second brakingdevice being normally held in inoperative position by the rear edge ofthe said first braking device, an explosive charge so arranged in theprojectile as to rupture by its explosion the lines of least resistanceof said first braking device permitting the latter to unfold, to exertits braking action at the same time releasing the free forward edge ofsaid second brak ing device, the said two braking devices thus actingtogether to transform the trajectory of the projectile, and means forigniting the said explosive charge after the projectile has left thegun.

4. In combination with a high velocity projectile, a braking devicemounted on the projectile, a movable member normally holding saidbraking device in inoperative position, an explosive charge so arrangedin the projectile, as to cause by its explosion the said movable memberto release said braking device, permitting it to exert its brakingaction, and means for igniting said explosive charge. after theprojectile has left the gun.

5. In combination with a high velocityv projectile provided with afuse-head, a braking device mounted on the projectile com prising aplurality of strips adapted to bend outwardly away from the projectile,a movable member mounted between the said fusehead and the ogivalportion of the projectile and normally holding the free forward ends ofsaid strips against the outer face of the projectile, an explosivecharge so arranged in the projectile as to move by its explosion thesaid movable member forward toward the said fuse-head, thereby causingit to release the free ends of the said strips. permitting them tounfold and exert a braking action, and means for igniting said explosivecharge, after the projectile has left the gun.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS ALARD.

Witnesses:

HENRI Moms CHAS. P. PRESSLY'.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

